Man Accused of Murder Was Subject to Contact Ban, Trial Hears

A court proceeding revealed that an individual charged with the murder of his “on-off” partner had been subject to a no-contact order several weeks prior to her death. Lisa Welford, aged 49, passed away in a hospital on April 25, having been rescued unconscious from the River Derwent in Malton, North Yorkshire, on the evening of April 24. Vincent Morgan, 47, faces charges of murder and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to Ms Welford, all of which he refutes. During proceedings at Leeds Crown Court, it was stated that Ms Welford, also identified as Lisa Smith, had been issued a domestic violence protection order against Mr Morgan on April 6. On the trial’s opening day, Craig Hassall KC, presenting the prosecution’s case to the jury, asserted that Mr Morgan possessed a “history of violence” towards Ms Welford, with whom he reportedly maintained an “on-off relationship” spanning several years. Testimony presented to the court indicated that Ms Welford contacted the police from her mother’s residence on April 4 of this year, reporting that she had suffered a clump of her hair being ripped out and a tooth being knocked out due to assaults perpetrated by the defendant. On April 6, York Magistrates’ Court subsequently issued an injunction forbidding Mr Morgan, residing at Chandlers Wharf, Castlegate in Malton, from making any contact with Ms Welford, either directly or indirectly. Nevertheless, the prosecution contended that Mr Morgan violated this order on April 24, spending the day consuming alcohol with Ms Welford at multiple sites throughout North Yorkshire. It was further stated that at approximately 20:30 BST that same evening, surveillance footage showed the two disembarking a bus at Malton Bus Station, having journeyed from York. Video evidence presented to the jury depicted Ms Welford proceeding on a brief walk towards the river bank along Railway Street, with Mr Morgan observed trailing closely. It is then presumed they spent a period together on a riverside bench. Approximately 23:30 BST that night, Ms Welford was extracted from the water by a civilian and a police officer, and Mr Morgan was apprehended at the location. Despite paramedics successfully resuscitating her heart, she had sustained irreversible brain damage and was declared deceased the subsequent morning. The court heard that Mr Morgan initially informed emergency services that Ms Welford had intentionally entered the water in an attempt to take her own life, but subsequently asserted she had slipped on the riverbank and fallen in. A post-mortem examination revealed that Ms Welford had incurred multiple injuries, including a fractured thigh bone, though her death was determined to be caused by drowning. The judicial proceedings are ongoing.